Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Happy New Year, Everyone

I have a cold thats given me a cough, sniffles, sneezing and a raging sore throat. So I didn't stay up to see the New Year in.Habby Dew Year, Ebbry-wodd.Next morning I felt marginally better. Just as well, the whole family descended on us for New Year's dinner, a proper Hogmanay feast. Well, not quite the entire Trewhitt clan. The Birmingham contingent had their own major celebration in downtown King's Norton. But greetings were exchanged nonetheless.The whole day went well from what I could see. The grandchildren played, we had the meal and I washed up afterwards, ably assisted by eldest grandson who is such by a considerable margin at 18. Normally washing up is a half hour job at the most. But today it was a good two hours or so. There were ten of us at table which meant the kitchen/diner had to be seriously re-arranged in our small terraced house and superfluous furniture removed temporarily elsewhere. So kitchen clean-up not only entailed washing up but restoring the kitchen to its original state. And to think at the beginning of this operation I cheerfully (and over-optimistically) said I would bring the coffee through in twenty minutes or so when I'd finished. I was quite surprised to see it was getting dark by the time all was done.Then eldest grandson wanted a game of chess. OK., we played but the days of making allowances for tender years are over. One seven year old grandson gave me a fair run for my money while we were down in Wales. He does not like me to give him an easy game. He doesn't give me one, that's for sure. Eldest grandson gave me a hard game too. He pushed me into a corner with a vicious combination of knight and bishop backed up by his queen keeping my two bishops pinned. Checkmate was inevitable. Then he offered me his queen on a plate and it was all over. I won, but only just. Anyway, it was just for fun. It is New Year and we played with a novelty set: a "Lord of the Rings" limited edition chess set I was given when I retired from nursing. Nearly three whole years ago.Doesn't time fly?We've had a good Hogmanay.Happy New Year then, and lang may your lum reek*. Carbon emissions notwithstanding!!!

4 comments:

I think he won because I put him off, having come into the room as per instructions to "hurry you along". Poor lad, caught between his mother and his grandmother. Still, he knows how to play it and keeps us both sweet. That's my boy!

Glad to see us kids succeeded in preventing the annual ritual of parents attempting spous-atri-cide. If that's not a word, it should be.

About Me

I have been an artist since the beginning of the 1960s and retired from the day job since 2005 so I make art full time.
I make 2D work and small scultures.
I have spent time in Cyprus working with the Cyprus College of Art, usually in Larnaca and sometimes at Lempa near Paphos.
Exposure to extant art from Cyprus' mythical past has led to my exploring and comparing my own Northern European folk traditions.